Vanilla and
by Robin Flying Solo
Summary: In issue 53, Piper tells Flash that he's gay... Alternate universe (slash story FlashPiper)


Title: Vanilla and...  
  
Author: Flying Solo  
  
Fandom: Flash  
  
Pairing: Flash/Piper  
  
Rating: PG-13   
  
Warnings: Slash, Alternate Universe, kinda pre-slashy  
  
Spoilers for: Flash #53  
  
Beta Reader: No, want the job? Microsoft word and proof reading currently.  
  
Summary: Piper tells Flash that he is gay.  
  
Notes: Current canon? Screw current canon! Challenge was, take an issue and write a story based on some scene. This is how the issue would have gone had I been writing it! Opening is directly from the comic book...  
  
Flames will be passed around and laughed at.  
  
Vanilla and...  
  
By Flying Solo  
  
It was a way of pulling some gossip out of him.   
  
Even the Flash wasn't immune to the lure of gossip! And who is gay and who is not has always been of interest to everyone. Rumors about Nightwing and Batman had been going around for literally years!  
  
And speculation about the Joker had always been high, between the way he dressed and the way he'd talk about the Batman...  
  
"I doubt he has real *human* feelings of *any* kind... He's *not* gay, Wally. In fact, I can't think of any super-villain who is..."  
  
Wally tilted his head a little and sort of grinned. "Not one...?"  
  
He didn't honestly believe that there weren't any gay super villains. He knew more than one gay or bi super hero. Odds were in favor of at least *one* villain of that persuasion.   
  
"Well, except *me*, of course." Piper looked at him from the corner of his eye and for a split second Wally couldn't control the look of surprise that crossed his face.  
  
"But you knew that, right?" The look on Piper's face was as wicked as any he had ever held while robbing a bank-- cocky and sure with a touch of evil.  
  
"Me? Oh, sure..." The smile didn't quite reach his eyes. Brow furrowed and beads of sweat appearing, The Flash tried to rally. "I mean, how could I not know something as... as...?"  
  
"And it doesn't... *bother* you?" Piper held his horn in one hand while the other balanced on his hip, the thick heavy cap swirling around him.  
  
"Me? Gosh, no!" Wally turned slightly and then flipped the cover of his watch open. "Oops, look at the time...! Got an appointment, Piper. Gotta run."  
  
And the look that Wally saw was almost angry, directed at him, and he couldn't stand to look at it one more second. Before his first step off the building he heard the damning words. "Right. Glad it didn't bother you."  
  
He cursed himself an idiot over and over again, wanting desperately to believe that Piper hadn't noticed. He had needed time to think, and he wasn't strictly lying. He did have an appointment. And you didn't just blow off the man of steel.  
  
But no matter what happened that day, it was never too far from his mind. Particularly the look on Piper's face, the one that expected rejection. The one that Wally began to realize spoke of how little they knew of each other. He needed to show Piper that he hadn't rejected him. He also wanted to save face, and more importantly, he needed someone to help him with his plan.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The apartment was rather small, but everything was orderly and in its place. At least before he made his entrance. Wally spent the next few seconds putting everything back in their place but not before catching the annoyed look on Piper's face.  
  
"Sorry." Wally put the last CD back on the wall and winced as he noticed that it was all out of order. He could take a few more seconds and put them in alphabetical order, if he took a few seconds more he could arrange them by type. But as he turned to look at Piper, he noted the tight expression and instead folded his hands in front of him and looked to the floor. "I know, I know, learn to knock-- learn to walk."  
  
Piper took a deep breath and continued to look at Wally. "I suppose you hear that a lot."  
  
"Probably ever day since I first became Kid Flash?" Wally grimaced and shrugged.  
  
"Then there is no point in me repeating it now." Piper looked toward the CD case and winced.  
  
"I'll fix them!" Wally rushed over and began re-arranging them.  
  
"Leave them!" Piper called over the sound of plastic upon plastic clattering as he switched titles around. "I have no real life, I'll do it later!"  
  
It took a few seconds for the command to make its way through and a second longer for Wally to finally stop. By then, he had most of the CDs put into a kind of order that probably only made sense to him.  
  
"Wally? What do you want?" Piper pushed himself in between the Flash and his wall rack. His arms were crossed over his chest and the tension that seemed to radiate from him was enough to make Wally take a step back.  
  
"I suppose I deserve that." Wally muttered. "I'm sorry, about earlier, I actually did have an appointment. But..."  
  
"But...?" Sharp eyes watched him carefully and the sardonic grin was back. The grin that said, I think the worst that way I'm not disappointed.  
  
"I needed a little time to think." His voice was soft and he found himself shifting from foot to foot under that steady glare.   
  
"And now that you've thought about it?"  
  
"It honestly doesn't bother me!" Wally looked up and tried to meet his eyes.   
  
"So you came here to tell me that?" Piper turned his head and tilted it up, almost looking at him from the side again, as though he could see into Wally's very soul.  
  
"I need help..."  
  
"Ah." Piper sighed and nodded, finally turning away and walking toward the small kitchen.  
  
"I need your help and you are the only one that I know that I can trust to pull it off." Wally followed him, trying to make him understand. "You're my friend! My best friend! Doesn't that mean anything?"  
  
"You came here because you want something." Piper pulled down a glass from his cabinet and ran it under the water for a few seconds.   
  
"True, I can't deny it." Flash shrugged before walking closer. "But I also came to apologize and that is something I would have done whether I was trying to save some kid's life or not. Please, Piper, I don't have a lot of time here. Superman and his friend are depending on me for help!"  
  
The other man seemed to consider it for a few minutes then finally he nodded. "Fine, what do I do? And this isn't the end of this conversation..."  
  
"I know! I know!" Wally nodded quickly. "I deserve a complete bitching out! I realize that!"  
  
"As long as we are on the same page!" Piper snorted softly and smiled.  
  
"Thank you." Wally paused in front of him. Reaching out, he laid a hand on each of Piper's shoulders. "I promise, you can yell at me and call me an idiot and everything... Later!"  
  
On impulse he pulled Piper to his chest and hugged him tightly. "Because you *are* my best friend."  
  
He was about to let go when he felt arms tentatively go around him and return the hug.   
  
Wally smiled against the long hair that smelled vaguely of vanilla and something... else. He closed his eyes and found himself trying to figure out the faint scent, burrowing his head closer, nuzzling. The body in his arms went tense and he pulled back with a smile. "Musk!"  
  
Piper's brow wrinkled and Wally could see him wondering at the speedster's sanity.   
  
"Vanilla and Musk." Wally leaned over and whispered in his ear. "Your shampoo."  
  
"Oh." It was more a breath than a word, and Wally pressed a hand to the small of Piper's back hiding the smile in the long reddish blond hair.  
  
"We need to go." Wally told him pulling back slightly.   
  
"Yeah." Piper nodded, a vague look in his eyes.   
  
"Got to save the kid." Wally reminded him.  
  
"Uh, yeah... save people." Piper nodded again.  
  
"Superman's pal, his name is Jimmy Olsen." Wally ran the hand up and down Piper's back, as he looked down in amusement.  
  
"Save Jimmy Olsen." Piper repeated with another nod.  
  
"Then get into my pants." Flash fought to control the smirk.  
  
"Get into your pants...yeah..." Piper nodded then abruptly gasped, pulling back with a bright blush. "Huh?"  
  
"You need to wear my clothes..." Flash said innocently. "To save the kid, Olsen..."  
  
"Of course!" Piper nodded vigorously.  
  
Flash chewed his lip for a second and took a step forward, back into Piper's personal space, laying a hand on his hip. "Then, afterwards... we'll see..."  
  
He pressed a soft kiss to Piper's temple and then stepped back, laying a palm against Piper's cheek and running a thumb over his lips.   
  
"Oh." The soft breathy word produced a shiver down Flash's spine and he stopped himself from stepping forward and...  
  
"We need to go now..." Flash swallowed.  
  
Wordlessly, Piper nodded.  
  
=End Vanilla and... 


End file.
